SC - "barbeque" recipe

[Michael F. Gunter]

The primary trade routes into the Rus were up the Don from the Black Sea, up
the Volga from the Caspian Sea (Astrakhan is located on this route), and
across Northern Europe from Holland through the Northern Germanic States and
Poland or by sea across the Baltic (these latter being controlled by the
Hanseatic League).

You should also consider that in the late 15th Century under Ivan III (Ivan
IV "the Terrible" became Tsar about 40 years after Ivan III's death), the
Russians became very expansionist, probably because of their wars with the
Tartars, and were actively opening trade routes east to the Amur, which
became the Chinese-Russian border.  These became very important when the
Turks closed off the Mediterranean-Moscow trade in the 16th and 17th
Centuries.  I have no information on the extent of trade with Russia through
the Ottoman Empire.

The perishable nature of the lemon makes it a questionable trade good for
the overland trade unless already pickled or dried.  Your pickled lemons are
very likely part of this trade.

Lemons and oranges were delivered to England by ship in the 15th century and
sold at the dock as luxury goods.  Since this is the fastest way of
delivering Mediterranean lemons to Russia, I really would expect if they
were delivered fresh that it would be done over the Hanseatic sea route.

Bear

> ----------
> 
> So, does anyone have any info on trade routes to Muscovey from Italy via
> Poland, or Astrakham (where is Astrakham anyways?)
> Cariadoc,& Lord Ras, you are into Middle Eastern cooking, do you have any
> recipes that call for pickled lemons? I have one 1-qt. jar left here, I
> would like to know somethings to do with it.
> Lady Beatrix of Tanet
> 
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